The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has urged a Delhi court to award life imprisonment to Kashmiri separatist leader and Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DEM) chief Asiya Andrabi after her conviction in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The agency told the court that Andrabi and her associates had conspired to wage war against India and that imposing the harshest penalty was necessary to send a strong message against acts threatening the country’s sovereignty.
Arguments on the quantum of sentence were heard by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, who is presiding over the case involving Andrabi and her associates Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen. The three were convicted by the court on January 14, 2026, for multiple offences under the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In written submissions, the NIA stated that the convicts were “well-educated women” who played a central role in a “deep-rooted conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India.” According to the agency, they were not merely participants but “the main perpetrators” in the alleged conspiracy.
The prosecution argued that Andrabi and her associates used social media platforms and organised gatherings, with support from terrorist entities based abroad, to carry out activities aimed at waging war against the Indian state. The special public prosecutor told the court that posts and assertions made on Twitter and Facebook by the convicted individuals demonstrated that they were engaged in a “concerted war against the government established by law in India.”
The NIA further alleged that the trio used their proscribed organisation, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, to incite insurrection and promote the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India.
Highlighting Andrabi’s background, the agency informed the court that 33 FIRs have been registered against her in various police stations across Jammu and Kashmir. Her co-accused Fehmeeda and Nasreen are allegedly involved in nine and five criminal cases respectively.
The agency also told the court that the accused had colluded with Pakistan-based entities and UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The NIA submitted that this alleged collaboration turned the conspiracy into a “cross-border collusion against the security, sovereignty, and integrity of India.”
According to the prosecution, speeches and social media posts by the accused contributed to the radicalisation of young people and encouraged them to join militancy. The prosecutor referred to major terror attacks including those in Pulwama, Uri and the Red Fort, stating that such radicalisation often leads to loss of innocent lives and destruction of public property.
The agency also cited an incident in which Andrabi allegedly slaughtered a cow during a protest, claiming the act was intended to defy the Indian legal system and promote communal discord, which it described as prejudicial to national integration.
Seeking the maximum punishment, the NIA argued that leniency in such cases could weaken public confidence in the enforcement of anti-terror laws. It requested the court to impose life imprisonment under Section 121A of the IPC and relevant provisions of the UAPA, and further urged that sentences for different offences should run consecutively.
The defence counsel opposed the demand for life imprisonment, arguing that the prosecution had failed to present evidence showing that the speeches or social media posts attributed to the accused had actually incited violence.
During the hearing, the court also gave Andrabi and the two co-convicts an opportunity to address the court, as they appeared virtually.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved the matter for sentencing and scheduled March 24 for pronouncing the order.
The three were convicted under UAPA Sections 20, 38 and 39 relating to membership and support of a terrorist organisation. They were also found guilty under several provisions of the IPC, including Sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups), 153B (assertions prejudicial to national integration), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), and 121A (conspiracy to commit offences against the State).
